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Plăcintă with curd cheese, a fresh cheese pie with rested dough
Romanian pie made with curd cheese and fresh dough

Romanian sweet cheese pie (Plăcintă)

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Cakes and Desserts
Plăcintă is a rustic, homemade cake of Romanian cuisine, deriving from the Roman word 'placenta' (flat cake). It's not our thin pancake, but a rich curd cream filled into shortcrust or layered pastry. An essential part of village celebrations, where lemon zest freshness and vanilla sweetness meet the acidity of curd cheese, all in golden brown baked buttery dough.
🕒 Prep Time 35 mins
🍳 Cook Time 40 mins
⌛ Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
🍽️ Servings 6 servings
🔥 Calories 420 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Eastern European

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Mixing bowls
  • Baking tray or pie dish (approx. 20x30 cm)
  • Rolling pin
  • Pastry brush

Allergen Information

⚠️ Eggs
⚠️ Milk
⚠️ Cereals containing gluten

Instructions

1 ✓

For the filling, mash the curd cheese, then whisk until frothy with 2 eggs, sugar, vanilla sugar, and grated lemon zest.

Tip: If curd is very wet, drain in a sieve beforehand, otherwise it soaks the bottom pastry layer.
2 ✓

For the dough, sift flour and baking powder into a bowl, add a pinch of salt. Cube in cold butter, and rub into flour with fingers until it resembles wet sand.

Tip: Work quickly so butter doesn't melt from hand warmth, ensuring short texture.
3 ✓

Gradually pour in milk and knead just until dough comes together. Wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Tip: During resting, gluten strands relax, making it easier to roll without springing back.
4 ✓

Preheat oven to 180°C. Divide dough into two parts (one slightly larger for bottom). Roll out bottom sheet and line a buttered baking tray, ensuring a small rim.

Tip: The rim prevents sugary filling, which becomes liquid during baking, from leaking under the dough.
5 ✓

Smooth curd filling evenly over it. Roll out second dough sheet and cover filling. Press edges together.

Tip: Prick top with fork in several places so steam generated during baking can escape and dough doesn't puff up.
6 ✓

Beat remaining 1 egg and brush pie top. Bake for 35-40 minutes until deep golden brown.

Tip: Egg white forms a shiny, lacquer-like layer during baking (Maillard reaction), protecting dough from drying out.

Recipe FAQ

Why is the dough soggy?
It likely didn't bake through properly. Use top and bottom heat, and don't open the door in the first 20 minutes.
Can I use margarine instead of butter?
You can, but the taste and shortness (due to melting point of fat) will be best with butter.

Ingredients

  • 500 g Curd cheese (medium fat)
  • 3 pcs Eggs (2 for filling, 1 for brushing)
  • 300 g Plain flour
  • 100 g Caster sugar
  • 100 g Butter (cold)
  • 100 ml Milk
  • 1 pack Baking powder (10g)
  • 1 pack Vanilla sugar
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • 1 pc Lemon zest (grated)